ABS Ltd will host an open question and answer session on the evening of 14 July 2010.

The purpose of the session is to give members the opportunity to ask any questions they may have and promote better communications between the Board and members. It will also allow the Board to ask members what they expect from it.

Club secretaries may send questions in advance of the the meeting to ABS Ltd, 5 Nasmyth Court, Houston Industrial Estate, Livingston, EH54 5EG. The reason for asking for upfront questions is to divide the various questions into themes. This will allow the session to focus on current matters that are critical to the ongoimg development of ABS Ltd.

The time of the meeting is 7.00pm to 9.oo pm and the venue is The Cairn Hotel, Blackburn Road, Bathgate, EH48 2EL

The aim of ABSs one day tutor course, which was held at the Whiteinch Centre in Glasgow, was to qualify participants to deliver and organise the G.B. national boxing awards in schools, colleges, sports centres, youth clubs, universities, and to boxing clubs.

This course the first of its kind in Scotland was well attended with nineteen participants qualifying to deliver this type of non-contact boxing coaching. The course was presented by Quinton Shillingford, the Managing Director of Boxing Awards Ltd.

The outline of the course was:

The benefit from physical exercise

– The warm up

– The boxing stance

– Healthy lifestyle

– Fun while training

– History of boxing

– Pad work

– Healthy diet.

The group who did this course, all came from different backgrounds and included teachers, youth workers, development workers, and of course boxing coaches.

Everyone in attendance thoroughly enjoyed the course and the way in which it was presented. If there is enough demand ABS would like to repeat this sometime in the very near future. Anyone interested should contact Willie Burns who will advise when ABS is likely to repeat this coaching programme.

The Scottish Team arrived at the Etap Hotel in Sheffield at 6pm on 10 June 2010. The boys all passed the medical and weigh in on Friday morning and the draw was done at 11am. We were unlucky enough to draw the best boxers of the tournament and the results are as follows;

Every boxer gave 100 percent in every bout. The Coaches Peter Harrison, Danny Lee, Alec Docherty and Rab Bannen all worked very hard to help each of the boxers achieve their peak.

Referees George Brown, Derek Cannon and judge Paul Susans were in the higher range of the officials at the championships and this bodes well for future success of A.B.S Ltd Officials at home and abroad.

All three Scottish boxers suffered preliminary round defeats in the 2010 European Championships in Moscow Russia.

Joe Ham boxed against Matti Koota of Finland and lost 9 -2 (round 1 3-0, round 2 4-1 and round 3 2-1). The coaches commented that Joe had put in a good effort against the Finn however.

Aston Brown boxed against Egidijus Kavaliauskas of Lithuania – A World class opponent. Aston lost the bout narrowly 4-3 (round 1 1-2, round 2 2-1 and round three 1-0). Aston boxed very well and looked composed throughout the fight.

Stephen Simmons representing Scotland in the tournament but travelling with the GB competed in the 81kg weight category. His opponent was Ioannis Militopoulos of Greece – The first round was very close with the judges scoring it 3-3. However Militopoulos scored well in the second and third rounds to end up a comfortable winner 9-4.

ABS has finalised its 2010 Commonwealth Games preparation calendar which starts this weekend. This will allow our boxers to concentrate on preparation for Delhi.

The programme will cranked up massively upon the return of the boxers representing Scotland in the European Championships which are being held in Moscow.

ABS have recommending seven boxers for selection to Commonwealth Games Scotland for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. All recommendations will be based on the boxers performances against events identified in the selection criteria.

The programme will be intensive with a number of weekend residential camps, sparring & training camps to France, Germany, England and Ireland planned. Residential camps will also allow ABS to utilise the services of the Scottish Institute to provide support and education to the boxers.

ABS is sure you will all give the selected boxers your support and wish them the very best as they represent their country.